Not Quite What I Had In Mind
by Aedammair
Summary: Aeda's ambushed, Daniel's as confused as ever, and SG1 is off to Massachusetts to save the day.
1. Knowledge

This is yet anotherstorycontainingAeda Harrison and Daniel Jackson, a little adventure involving some action scenes, some love scenes, and plenty of comedy. This is the third in a trio of stories and it might be helpful to read the other two first (The Assistant & That Next Big Step).

Enjoy and thanks for all the earlier reviews!

They aren't mine, please don't sue!

* * *

Danielhad droppedAeda off at the Denver airport around midnight and she had promised him that she'd call when she reached Boston, around eight, Eastern Standard. He glanced at the clock, too antsy to pay attention to the ping-pong game he was supposed to be playing with Cameron. The distraction was a mistake – Cameron launched the ball at him and it pinged off his elbow.

"Ow," he said sharply and glared at Cameron.

"Pay attention, man." Cameron glanced at the clock himself. "You got a date or something?"

He sighed. "Aeda's flight was supposed to arrive at eight am her time, six our time. It's six-thirty." He rubbed his elbow where the plastic ball had struck him. This was the reason he didn't play against Teal'c.

Cameron shrugged. "Flights get delayed. Plus, it's Boston. I'm betting she's stuck in traffic on the runway."

He acquiesced just slightly to Cameron's thought. "Maybe."

The phone on the wall of the rec room used that precise moment to ring and the two men looked at each other.

"See? That's probably her now."

Daniel crossed the room to the phone and lifted the green receiver to his ear. "Dr. Jackson," he said, watching as Cameron began to bounce the ball with the ping-pong paddle.

"Hey, Daniel. How's life?" Aeda's voice said from three thousand miles away.

A wave of relief washed over him and in his happiness he missed the tone of voice she was using. "Good. I was starting to get worried."

"Yeah. Hey, silly question."

This time he noticed it. She sounded unhappy and a little restrained. "Shoot."

"Who the hell is Ba'al and why would he _kidnap_ me?"

He almost dropped the phone. "Excuse me?"

Aeda sighed. "Ba'al – you know, tall guy, mustache, menacing presence – or so he thinks."

"He kidnapped you?" he asked and the ping-pong ball Cameron was bouncing fell to the concrete floor.

"More like asked me nicely with a gun in my back. I'm okay, though. I'm pretty sure we're still in Mass."

His entire body went numb. He had to lean against the wall to keep from falling to the ground. Cameron caught the change in his posture and put the ping-pong paddle down on the table.

"Please tell me you're joking," he said thickly.

There was the sound of movement accompanied by a burst of static and he tried not to think about what was happening on the other end of the phone conversation. "Aeda?" he asked.

"Ah, Dr. Jackson, how nice to hear from you again."

The voice was disgustingly familiar and his skin crawled at the sound of it. They had been so sure he'd been destroyed, that all of his clones had been destroyed. But now…this…

"Ba'al."

Cameron's eyes went wide and he sprinted from the rec room, though Daniel didn't know where he was headed. He was too focused on the fact that a demented Ga'ould had Aeda.

"Yes, Dr. Jackson, and no, your dear professor was not joking. I do indeed have the good Dr. Harrison with me at the moment and I'm prepared to make a trade."

He took a deep breath. "I'm listening."

"I will not harm your woman –" he heard a loud snort in the background and a small part of him was relieved that she at least found it amusing – "if you are able to get me a naquadah generator within the next seventy-two hours. After eight am on Thursday, if I do not have the generator in my possession, I will kill her."

Daniel said nothing. He could hear footfalls approaching, at least three other people, and he forced himself to think.

"Do we understand each other?"

"Where are you?" he asked.

"I will call you tomorrow with a location."

Anger flared. "If anything happens to her –"

"You have my word that for the next seventy-two hours she will remain free from harm. After that, whatever fate befalls her is in your hands."

The line went dead and he stared at the receiver as the room filled withCameron and hisreinforcements – General Landry, Sam, and Teal'c all stood watching him with worried gazes. Eventually, Sam took the receiver from his hand and placed it back on the wall.

Slowly, rage filled every mellow inch of him and, without thinking, he heaved his fist into the solid concrete of the rec room wall.

"Daniel!" she shouted as he brought his broken hand up to his chest.

It was the first time in a long time he'd lost his temper. The first time in a long time he'd actually felt the need to hurt something.

"He has Aeda," he said quietly.

"I know and I promise you that we'll find her," Sam said and very softly guided him from the room and towards the infirmary.

* * *

More to come, I promise... 


	2. Strategy

Now, had Ba'al done his homework, he would have realized two very important things: First, that very little fazed Aeda Harrison, and second, that she was incredibly easy to get along with – most of the time. Today just wasn't one of those times.

She was the daughter of a Navy Admiral and the goddaughter of an Air Force General. Growing up, she'd been a tomboy and had gotten into her fair share of fights – so much so that her mother had kept a first aid kit in every room of the house, just in case. She had grown out of it, but had always maintained the ability to defend herself. However, having a gun shoved in her back and being taken hostage by a guy with a snake in his head wasn't exactly something for which she was prepared.

The reality of the situation was two-fold. She had no idea where they were going, but she did understand that if Daniel couldn't come through with whatever it was the snake guy needed, she'd get a bullet in the back of her head – or worse. She had a lot of faith in Daniel, but that didn't stop her from worrying just a little bit.

After arriving at a secluded mansion that could have passed as a castle, she was searched and her bag was taken from her, along with her cell phone, Chap Stick, and hair tie. The cell phone she could understand, but the other two were just spiteful. A couple of thugs – there was really no other way to describe them – hauled her up a flight of stairs and locked her in a wood-paneled room.

This was the first of a series of mistakes. They didn't tie her up and they didn't think to check her hair when she'd taken it down – she'd used a couple of bobby pins to keep the sides back and they were still under her hair. So, she took the pins out, fiddled with the lock, and was halfway to the front door before someone stopped her.

Their second mistake was leaving her with Ba'al's blonde assistant for some "roughing up", as Thug #1 had so eloquently put it. In her tenure at the SGC, Jack had kept her fighting skills up to date and by the time she left she'd perfected her right hook to the point that she could even knock Teal'c back a step or two.

She was tired and more than a little cranky and they'd locked her in a room with the Ditz that did Danvers. Not a good combination in the scheme of things. So when the blonde slapped her and caused her to bite her lip, drawing blood, her patience snapped.

"Seriously?" Aeda asked, wiping blood from her lip.

The blonde cocked her head to the side. "Want some more?"

Aeda laughed. "Naw, I'm good." She drew back and clocked the woman with a beautifully executed right hook that even Jack would have been proud of. It connected with the blonde's jaw and snapped her head back, sending her staggering backwards and into the far wall.

"Fuck," Aeda hissed and shook out her hand as the woman slowly slumped to the ground.

Applause sounded from the doorway to the little room and she turned to see her captor smiling smugly. "Impressive," he said.

"Care for an encore?" she asked, far braver than she had been earlier. "I'll need a new volunteer from the audience."

Blondie moaned from her position on the floor and Ba'al ignored her. He motioned for Aeda to follow him. "Come, we'll ice your hand and see what we can do about your lip."

"Wonderful," she said and followed him downstairs.

* * *

General Jack O'Neill was almost as antsy as Danielwas and perhaps even more grouchy than the archeologist. He was pacing the briefing room, watched intently by Daniel, Sam and Aeda's father, Belvedere Harrison, who had yet to comment on the situation.

"Jack," the Admiral said quietly and Jack stopped pacing, looked at the older man. "Sit down before you wear a track in the floor."

It impressed both Daniel and Sam that Jack did as the Admiral asked. The room sat in silence for another minute or so. General Landry was working with the Pentagon and the White House to establish a set of guidelines for the negotiation. So far, no one was budging on the generator – it didn't seem all that horrible to lose a Harvard professor compared to losing a naquadah generator, which was very silently irking Daniel. In fact, he hadn't said anything since the arrival of the Admiral.

"I'm sorry, Bell," Jack said softly from the opposite end of the table. Daniel watched as the Admiral leveled his gaze at the General and silently wished for cover.

"For the seven hundredth time, you goddamn fool, this isn't your fault. It isn't Dr. Jackson's fault. The blame belongs to the bastard that took her, so either move on or come and sit next to me so I can brain you with the telephone."

"Moving on," Jack said and the Admiral nodded.

"Daniel, how did she sound on the phone?" the Admiral asked and Daniel had to take a deep breath to keep from stuttering.

"Okay. She sounded kind of amused, actually."

The Admiral smiled. "That sounds like my daughter." He looked down the table at Jack. "Will he hurt her?"

"Honest answer?" Belvedere nodded. "If he doesn't get what he wants, he'll kill her – just like he promised."

The Admiral took the admission in stride. He crossed his arms. "Well then, we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen."

The door to the briefing room opened and General Landry entered, a look of frustration on his features. His cheeks were pink, either from the exertion of yelling or the anger everyone in the room knew he felt. Sam stood quickly to attention and the General waved her back into her seat.

"Admiral Harrison,it would seemI don't have the most promising of news," he said gruffly.

"They won't allow the trade," Daniel said quietly without looking up from the table.

General Landry shook his head. "I'm afraid not. The Pentagon is afraid of the security risk it would produce, and, unfortunately, they just aren't all that worried about a kidnapped Harvard professor."

Jack stood, as did the Admiral. "Call them back, Hank. Put them on speaker phone so they can say that to her father's face instead of through you." The fury in his voice was unmistakable and for a split second, they all worried about just what he would do.

"I didn't say that was the end of it, Jack," Landry said quietly. He turned to Sam. "I need you to get Lt. Mitchell and Teal'c up to speed. I want SG-1 and SG-3 to get geared up for a SWAT extraction."

Sam stood. "Yes, sir," she said and bolted from the room.

"I want in, Hank," Jack said fiercely.

"I thought as much."

"Me too," the Admiral said and the three men turned to look at him. "She's my daughter."

"You're only two years out of a heart transplant, Bell. If something were to happen –" Hank said quietly.

The Admiral cut him off. "I don't care about myself right now. She's my daughter and the only thing that matters is getting her out of there alive and in one piece."

"He's right," Daniel said and the eyes in the room shifted to his prone position at the table. He was the only one left sitting, his body slightly hunched over the tabletop. His good hand rested on top of the bandaged one, his fingers tracing an invisible pattern along the cast. "He should be there, if for no other reason than it'll help her when she's out of there."

The two Generals considered it, and then seemed to come to an unspoken agreement. "Fine," Hank said. "We'll meet up with SGs 1 and 3 and figure out where we're headed."

Jack followed Hank out the door. Daniel slowly rose to his feet, his balance off. He felt the Admiral's hand under his elbow and he looked at the older man.

"How'd you break your hand?" he asked.

Daniel looked at the cast. "I punched a concrete wall." He shrugged slightly."It didn't give."

The older man smiled slightly. "You love my daughter," he said matter-of-factly, as though he'd known all along, which he probably had.

Daniel nodded. "More than I have anyone in a very long time."

Belvedere considered him for a moment longer, then nodded. "Alright, then let's go get her and bring her home. Bear's driving Carolina crazy."

Daniel actually smiled. "I can just imagine."

* * *

Yes, no, maybe? This is the first time I've written for Belvedere and I like him. He reminds me of my dad. Let me know what you think! 


	3. Bargaining

The ice felt good on her swollen knuckles and whatever he had done to stop her lip from bleeding had also numbed the pain. As hostages went, she was in pretty good shape.

They were sitting on stools at the island in the enormous kitchen with Thug #2 stationed just outside the door. She had already promised not to try an escape again, but she suspected Ba'al didn't trust her. At least _that_ was a good idea.

"How is your hand, Dr. Harrison?" he asked.

She pulled the ice pack away and flexed her fingers very slightly. They resisted the movement at first, but eventually gave in. They still hurt, though, and she was sure she'd broken the middle one. "Still a little sore, but I think the ice is working on that."

"I was surprised by your ability to fell Maria. She's usually very capable." He sounded genuinely impressed.

She smiled slightly. "I'm sure she is when her opponent doesn't fight back."

"Did General O'Neill train you?"

"Some."

"He's a very good warrior himself, though a bit of a nuisance when it comes to my own existence."

She wondered if he was attempting idle chitchat in order to gain insight into her relationship with each member of SG-1. If so, he was barking up the wrong tree. She hadn't worked for the government and not learned a thing or two about keeping her mouth shut.

"I would imagine, what with your destructive tendencies."

He shifted his posture and leaned forward, his forearms on the countertop. "What do you know of my destructive tendencies?"

She matched his stance. "Enough to know that while I should be afraid of you, I'm more annoyed by your arrogance than anything else. That and your horrible taste in women."

He smiled. "You're very…difficult to get along with," he said.

"Actually, I'm very easy to get along with – you just happen to have caught me on an off day."

The smile never wavered and she wondered if he found her half as annoying as she found him. "I'll have Reggie bring you up to your room, now. At five, I'll send up something to eat." He turned to the doorway and called for Thug #2.

Ba'al had no way of knowing that, as a child, Aeda had been more than just a little mischievous. She'd often play pickpocket with her father's watch and wallet and her mother's favorite Brazilian teak coasters. She played pranks on her brother all the time – taking things from his room while he wasn't looking and putting them back in a different place, just to see if he'd notice. Much like fighting, she'd given up as she'd gotten older, but it was still inherent in her personality. She had done it with Daniel's Sekhmet idol, moving it around just to see if he'd catch on to the fact it wasn't where it usually was. He always figured it out, though it took him days sometimes.

Sitting on the island, near her left hand, was a pocket corkscrew. The color of the plastic was close enough to the color of the countertop that the corkscrew almost blended into it. Ba'al's back was turned for exactly four seconds and it was just enough time to reach out her left hand, grab the corkscrew, and slip it under the icepack.

When he turned back around to her, she smiled sweetly. "All set?" she asked.

He nodded. "If you'll excuse me, Dr. Harrison, I need to make a phone call. I will see you later this evening."

He left the kitchen through a side door. Reggie stood at the other door and looked at her.

"So your name is Reggie?" she asked. He didn't say anything. "Not many thugs named Reggie," she said as she stood and walked over to where he loomed in the doorway. Again, he said nothing. "Must make you feel special."

He took her arm – a little too roughly, she though – and guided her towards the back stairs. She pocketed the corkscrew expertly and began to think up a plan.

* * *

From six thousand feet in the air, Massachusetts wasn't that impressive. 

Daniel had actually come to this conclusion during his last flight to the great taxed state and he was hard pressed to disagree with himself as they coasted through the air above the greater Boston region. Hanscom Air Force Base stood out below them as long and wide bands of tarmac and blue hangars. He took a deep breath as they surged downward for what he hoped was supposed to be a three-point landing. He had to give the pilot credit, though, as he suspected that there was at least _some_ rubber left on the landing gear.

"How you holding up?" a familiar voice asked from his right and he turned away from the tiny window to look Jack square in the eye.

"With super glue and duct tape," he said and, for the first time since he'd arrived in the middle of the melee, Jack smiled.

"Better than nothing, I suppose." He pointed at Daniel's hand. "Can you shoot with one hand?" he asked.

"I've done it before."

"Not what I asked."

Daniel set his jaw and nodded. "Yes, Jack, I can shoot with one hand." He smiled slightly. "I can't hit shit, but I can shoot with one hand."

Jack shrugged. "You can't hit shit with both hands, so it's no biggie." He stood and offered his hand to the younger man. "Come on, Dan. Let's go meet the rest of the good guys."

They met the others, who had already exited the plane, on the tarmac below. Standing with the SGC members and the Admiral were five men the size of Teal'c. They were dressed in black and wore black sunglasses. As Daniel and Jack approached the group, one of the men in black stepped forward and took off his glasses.

"Gentlemen, let me be the first to welcome you to Hanscom Field." He stuck out his hand and General Landry took it, pumped it warmly.

"Thanks the assist, Major. I'm sorry there wasn't much advance notice." The General looked back at his rag tag group of SGC members and pointed at the man in black and his associates. "This is Marine Major Greene and his extraction team."

"As in Grant Greene," Cameron asked, stepping forward a little. The man nodded. "I read about your mission to Siagon, the extraction your team did just before the new regime came into power. You're one damn impressive Marine."

Green smiled. "I do try, sir."

"Major, are you and your team set for this?" Belvedere asked.

Green nodded and motioned for the group to follow him, which they did. He talked as they walked in the general direction of a blue hangar. "We've done a quick survey of the greater Boston area, based on the cellular phone records of Professor Harrison. It seems she was headed in the direction of Salem when she called you, Dr. Jackson." They reached the hangar and the doors opened, allowing them access to the cool air inside. May in Massachusetts was hotter than Daniel remembered it being. "So, we did some research, found a newly rented mansion off the beaten path, near the bay, and focused our attention there."

They stopped at a makeshift workstation and the Major rolled out a set of aerial photographs. It was as this happened that Daniel's cellular phone rang and all activity in the immediately vicinity ceased. He looked down at it, then back up at the group.

"It's Aeda's number," he said and flipped open the phone. "Hello?"

"Ah, Dr. Jackson, I was so hoping I wouldn't get your voicemail. It really is a modern convenience but most ineffective for bargaining, wouldn't you agree?"

He made a mental note to hit Ba'al in the face with his cast when they finally met up with him.

"How's Aeda?" he asked slowly.

The man actually laughed. "That woman is a – what do you call it? Spitfire. Full of sarcasm and a beautiful right hook. She's quite a graceful fighter, actually."

His hand began to throb. "Get on with it, Ba'al."

"Yes, well, I can see you have a one-track mind."

Jack caught his eye and one eyebrow lifted. Daniel nodded at the unasked question – _she's fine, but I'm going to kill the sonofabitch when we finally get our hands on him. _

"There is a village just north of Boston, out on the bay. Salem, I believe is the name. Quite an interesting history this place purports to have – witchcraft and the like. They hanged an awful lot of innocent people here."

"Ba'al…" Daniel warned.

"Near the edge of the village there's an abandoned farmhouse. Meet me there, Thursday at noon. Bring the generator."

"And Aeda?" he asked, though he knew the answer.

Again, Ba'al chuckled. "Bring the generator and I will release her. Defy me, and your precious professor will suffer the consequences of your actions."

The line clicked off and he brought the phone away from his ear. He felt the blood rush to his head, felt the room shift slightly, and tried to stave off the tunnel vision that was encroaching upon his consciousness.

_Yep_, he thought, _I'm gonna pass out_.

"She's in Salem," he said and gave into the growing darkness.

* * *

I'm sure everyone is a little out of character, but that's the fun of it. I promise - more action, more fun. Thanks for the reviews! 


	4. Loss

He dreamed he lost her.

They were face to face, their hands touching, and something yanked back on her and she was pulled from him. She flew backwards, screaming, and he could do nothing to stop it.

It wasn't the first time such a thing had graced his subconscious. Most of the time, however, he was able to pull her away from the thing that wished to take her – it was different in every dream – but this time, it had all felt wrong. This time, he sat up screaming her name and it took him moments before he was fully awake and aware.

All those other times, he had called her, had listened to her voice just to comfort his own dark fears. Now, as he sat in an unfamiliar bed, he realized he couldn't call her, couldn't comfort himself by listening to some inane story about her clumsiness. The presence of Admiral Belvedere Harrison in the corner of the small room only solidified this realization.

He'd lost her for real this time.

* * *

There was a very good possibility Sam was going to have to shoot both Jack and Cameron with tranquilizer darts just to keep them from moving. Neither of the two men had sat down since arriving at Hanscom and while she suspected that it was emotional energy keeping them on their feet, she knew that eventually they'd shut down and that would be bad.

"Jack, Cam, sit down."

Both men stopped their pacing and stared at her. "Huh?" Cam asked, his boyish features twisted into a look of complete and utter confusion.

She sighed. "You're wasting energy. Sit down and eat something before you both collapse."

Jack looked at the younger flyboy and shrugged. "No point arguing with her," he said.

Cam nodded and they each took a seat at the tiny mess hall table. They were the only people within the small space. Major Greene's people and SG-3 were discussing weapons while the Major himself was working on something with General Landry. The Admiral and Teal'c were taking turns checking on Daniel.

"This whole thing sucks," Cam said after a short silence had descended upon the group.

Sam nodded and rubbed the back of her neck. Her hand was gently pushed out of the way as Jack took over for her, rubbing small concentric circles along the top of her spine. She smiled gratefully at him.

"We've gotten out of worse situations than this one," Jack said.

"Never goes all that well for the hostage, though," Cam said and they both looked at him. He shrugged. "I spent a long time in that hospital with only your mission reports and soap operas to keep me entertained. There's really only so much drama one human being can take."

Jack laughed, shook his head. "Aeda's tough. Always has been. Just think of what she's been through and how she is now," he said.

Sam had a sudden flash of the conversation they'd had about Aeda over lunch one day.

"_Her father almost died a year ago. He needed a heart transplant and they had trouble finding him one. He's just now getting back up on his feet. She lost her husband three years ago, around this time actually, to cancer if I remember right."_

"_No wonder she's sad." She dropped a couple of onions onto the plate._

_Jack shrugged. "She's actually not, at least not anymore. I remember flying out there for the funeral. She didn't go to it, she couldn't even leave her bed and it was months before she actually left the house. You wouldn't think it to see her the way she is now."_

"I wonder how she's doing?" Sam asked aloud and Jack snorted.

"Probably annoying the piss out of that grand asshole."

They all laughed.

"One can only hope," Sam said and very silently, she did.

* * *

"I remember when my daughter first told me about you," Bell said as he handed a glass of cold water to the haggard archeologist. Daniel thanked him and took a sip. "It was during Christmas, that year she spent in Colorado working with you and Jack. We were playing cribbage and she told me she'd met someone."

Daniel smiled slightly. Aeda had gone home for Christmas for a few days, leaving him in charge of Bear. Even that early on, he'd been eighty percent sure that he was in love with her. It was when she'd come to collect Bear and had left him a brightly wrapped box without him knowing it that he'd added the remaining twenty percent.

She'd given him a Harvard t-shirt and he'd fallen head-over-heals in love with her.

His smile widened as he remembered just how good she'd looked in it after their first night together. When he caught Bell's eye, his cheeks reddened and Bell grinned.

"You impressed me the day we met in Boston. Not because of anything you said, but because of the way she smiled when you were around her." He laid his hand on Daniel's shoulder and squeezed very slightly. "I haven't seen my daughter smile that way since Tim died."

Daniel nodded, covered the man's hand with his own. "I love her, sir," he said and heard his own voice break.

"We'll get her back." He shrugged very slightly. "I can't go home if we don't." Bell's expression was grave, even with the small smile he attempted. "I don't think I could face Carolina with news like that and I _know_ I couldn't face Bear."

A knock on the door startled them both and by the time it had opened, they'd regained composure and were both on their feet. Teal'c inclined his head slightly by way of a greeting. "You are well, Daniel Jackson?" he asked.

"Better than before, Teal'c."

"How goes the planning?" Bell asked.

"We are ready to proceed to Salem, Admiral. General O'Neill sent me to get you."

Both men nodded and headed towards the door, preparing themselves for what they both hoped would be a simple mission. Then again, they both knew Aeda.

Nothing was all that simple when it involved Aeda Harrison.

* * *

A/N: How am I doing? This is a different type of story than the other two in the trilogy, but I figured Aeda deserved a chance to show everyone just what she's made of. Let me know what you think! Thanks for the reviews! 


	5. Planning

Aeda had a plan.

It wasn't highly developed or all that well thought out, but it was a plan and for the moment it was enough. All she needed now was a little more info from her abductor and she'd be set to stab the bastard in the eye. That was the main part of The Plan. Oh, and running like hell.

She had been contemplating The Plan for the last few hours while the day slowly ended outside. Her prison cell – slash – bedroom was located on the third floor in what she guess had been an attic at one point in time. Currently, the dormered room housed a queen bed, a dresser, an armchair and a desk. She was seated in the armchair, the remnants of the dinner Thug #1 had brought her resting on the desk. The sun was sinking over the salt marsh that the house sat on and a pang of quiet sadness stabbed at her heart.

"I kind of miss my apartment," she said aloud and to no one in particular. She waited a minute before adding, "and my dog."

There was the sound of footsteps approaching and she turned her attention away from the sunset and watched the large oak door while she waited for it to open. Keys were exchanged, the lock was undone, and the hinges creaked as the oversized door opened and Ba'al stepped into the room, followed by Maria. Aeda couldn't contain the smile and small laugh that escaped her lips as she caught sight of Maria's two black eyes and puffy nose.

Maria actually took a step towards her but Ba'al thrust his arm out and caught her before she could advance any further. Aeda continued to smile.

"I spoke with Dr. Jackson awhile ago and we came to an agreement. He'll be meeting with us tomorrow afternoon. You should be home by dinner." He smiled slowly, a facial expression she didn't much care for, and motioned for Maria to exit the room. Surprisingly, she did as she was told and the door closed behind her. Once again, Aeda found herself alone with her abductor.

"May I sit and join you?" he asked casually, as though it were an everyday occurrence for him to have a captive.

Then again, for him, it might be.

She was too curious to say no and when she nodded, he sat down on the edge of the bed and regarded her with his own curiosity.

"Your archeologist friend surprises me with every encounter," he said.

Aeda drew her legs up into the chair with the rest of her tired body and wrapped her arms around her knees. She contemplated the man before with a critical eye. "If you're planning on killing me, why are we having this conversation?" she asked, genuinely curious.

His right eyebrow lifted in a perfectly sculpted arch. "Dr. Jackson has promised to come through on our deal. So long as he does, I will hold true to my promise."

"I'm supposed to believe that a man who kidnaps an innocent bystander has scruples?"

He chuckled, a sound she didn't find all that enjoyable. "An excellent point, my dear professor."

"You could always provide me with a gesture of good faith."

"What would you suggest?"

"Daniel remains safe from harm, no matter what. If it comes down to it, and you're feeling irrepressibly trigger-happy, I want you're assurance that I'll be your first target."

The eyebrow arched a second time. He actually looked shocked. "Are you telling me that you would sacrifice yourself for him if it came down to it?"

She looked him the eye. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you."

"Why?"

She shrugged, amazed at her ability to remain so calm. "Because he's more valuable to the world than I am."

His dark eyes held hers. "Is that the real reason?" She said nothing but held his stare. After a war of wills, through which neither of them glanced away, Ba'al conceded. "No harm will come to him, I promise."

"Good." She turned back towards the window and was disappointed to see the final rays of light sinking away. The stars had started their show and the sadness from earlier returned.

"Good night, Professor," he said and though she didn't turn away from the window, she knew he was gone simply by the creaking of the door.

She waited until it had closed and been locked once again before allowing herself to cry. She'd be damned if she let him see her weakness, though she suspected he already had.

* * *

They'd all been given barracks at the base and while everyone was well on their way to being asleep, Bell had sought out Jack's company and the two men communed on the porch of Jack's bunk house with two glasses and a fifth of Knob Creek that Bell had conned a Lt. Colonel into giving him. The bourbon warmed as it settled and it wasn't all that long before neither of the men needed their jackets to keep the cool May air at bay.

"How's Carolina?" Jack asked, making conversation for conversation's sake.

"She's wonderful, beautiful as ever." Bell turned his head slightly and even in the dimness that the porch light gave off, Jack could see the smile on his face. "Your Lieutenant Colonel is quite the looker."

"_Former_ Lieutenant Colonel," Jack said, stressing 'former'. "Sam's gorgeous and has no idea. I like that about her."

"Joined the Air Force to meet women," Bell stated with a laugh.

"Yeah."

They were both silent again, regarding the stars with quiet contemplation. If either of them noticed the stillness of the other, they didn't say anything. It was easier not to, easier to sit and focus on the task at hand. After awhile, when the cold had started to creep back in, Bell glanced over and nodded. Jack nodded back to him.

"Isn't anyone else in the world I trust more than you," Bell said.

"She'll be okay, Bell. I promise."

Bell nodded, finished up his bourbon and stood. "Thirty-five years and you've never broken one before. That's quite a track record – for a flyboy."

"Yeah, well, that's what I get for having a squid as a best friend." He, too, finished up his bourbon and joined Bell near the stairs. "Go get some sleep. I'll get you in the morning."

Bell stepped down off the porch and pushed off into the night. Jack watched him walk away, swaying just slightly, and waited until he'd stepped up onto his own porch and gone inside before turning back to his own door. He picked up the glasses and the bottle and was just about the open the door when it opened for him, revealing a boxer and tank top clad Samantha Carter.

"When did you sneak in?" he asked, slightly surprised by both her appearance and her nonchalant attitude.

She grinned and shrugged. "An hour or so ago." She pointed to the bottle in his hand. "Bell and bourbon?" she asked, yawning.

He nodded and as he brushed past her, into the cabin, he kissed her cheek. "Squids like their bourbon."

"Flyboys, too," she said as she shut the door. "Are you coming to bed?" she asked and he nodded, motioned for her to go back to the warm mattress.

"Be there in a minute."

By the time he'd gotten out of his jeans, she'd already fallen asleep, curled up on her side. He slid in behind her, wrapped the blankets around them, and tried not to think of losing her, tried not to think of all the times he'd _almost_ lost her. Within minutes, his breathing even out and he drifted off, comforted by the feel of her in his arms.

* * *

A/N This is kind of a filler chapter. More action to come - I promise. :-) Thanks for reading and reviewing. You guys rock! 


	6. Discussions

May mornings in Massachusetts dawn bright and cold, the winter crispness not completely absent from the springtime air. Typically, that coolness would stick around until early June, bringing snow on the odd occasion, and while it might not have been all that conducive to many springtime sports, it was perfect for running. Cameron had managed to convince Daniel that a run would do him some good and the two men had set out for a couple of miles around the base.

It hadn't taken Cameron very long upon arriving at the SGC to pass judgment on the program's resident archeologist – Daniel Jackson was surprisingly awesome for a geek. They'd made fast friends in those first few months and Cameron was glad for that. He'd been worried about being the new guy, about not being liked, and both Daniel and Teal'c had proven to him that there was little to worry about beyond the whole Earth in constant jeopardy thing. He could have liked them just for that, but there was more to it.

They were both great guys.

He harbored a glance over at his running mate and thought back to a week ago when he'd met Aeda for the first time, in the hallway…

"_Good morning," he said as he fell into step beside her. The ID tag hanging from the lapel of her overcoat read "visitor" but her clearance was just a step lower than his. Interesting._

_She smiled. "Good morning."_

"_Are you looking for someone in particular?" he asked, curious about her presence._

"_I am, but I know my way."_

_She sounded posh, polished. "Been here before, have you?"_

_She smiled, again. "So close to 'come here often' but much more eloquent." She didn't laugh, but he could see amusement on her face. "I used to work here," she explained._

_This stopped him. She continued on and, at the corner, she turned back and waved. "Pleasure meeting you, Cameron." Then she disappeared down the hallway…_

"You're going to give yourself an aneurysm, thinking that hard," Daniel said, drawing Cameron out of his thoughts.

He grinned at Daniel. "Sorry, I was thinking about Aeda."

"This is where I'm supposed to punch you in the face, right?"

Cameron laughed, which threw his breathing off, and he was forced to stop so he could get through a coughing fit. Cold air and warm lungs wasn't always a good combination. Daniel thumped him on the back a couple of times and eventually he was able to straighten up and breathe correctly.

"I was thinking about when I first met her," he said once his voice returned. "She knew who I was even though I had no clue who she was."

Daniel grinned slightly. "I had told her quite a bit about you while I was visiting her in Boston."

Cameron laughed again, this time without a coughing fit. "No wonder she looked at me like she'd seen me naked."

Daniel stared at him. "I'm really not above punching you in the face."

"It's a southern thing."

"So is fried chicken and I can't say as though I'm a huge fan of that, either."

They regarded each other stoically until neither of them could take it any longer. They both burst out laughing and they laughed so hard and so long that they fell on the ground and stayed there. The hysterics passed eventually, but they remained sitting on the ground.

"From the stories I've heard," Cam started, his southern drawl a little stronger than it had been a minute or so earlier, "Aeda's giving Ba'al a run for his money."

"It's hard to outrun a G'ould, Cam," he said, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. He had literally laughed until he'd cried.

Cameron nodded. "No doubt. But think of it this way – it's pretty damn easy to kick someone's ass when you're backed into a corner."

Daniel thought about this a moment. "Any more pearls of wisdom, Confucius?"

"My grandma Lulu always used to say what doesn't put hair on our chests makes us stronger."

"Your grandma Lulu was a strange woman."

"You're telling me."

They helped each other to their feet and began the slow walk back to the barracks. It was just after seven. The SWAT team would move into position at nine and the SG teams would come in behind them at ten. They all had a morning of waiting ahead of them, with do or die looming at high noon.

* * *

Aeda was antsy. The feeling of dread that had formed in her stomach during the night had only grown and as she had showered and dressed in the clothes Maria had left for her, it had sat like a stone in her abdomen. She had tried to convince herself that it was food poisoning but it was a no-go – vegetable soup just wasn't a common salmonella inducer.

There was no denying it – she was worried.

The clothes were her own, thankfully, most likely retrieved from the suitcase she'd had with her when they'd jumped her at the airport almost two days earlier. Her hair was refusing to dry, which wasn't anything new, but it did make her wish for her hair tie. On her way back from the bathroom, she had made the mistake of asking Thug #1 if he wouldn't reconsider giving the tiny elastic back to her.

"My hair is driving me nuts," she'd explained.

He had looked at her much like she had looked at Bear when he'd eaten her favorite sandals. "We could always cut it off," he'd suggested, his face stoic.

She was fairly certain she'd actually _recoiled_ from the suggestion. Switching to sweet and charming, she'd smiled courteously at him and had shrugged. "Actually, I'm kind of digging the wild and crazy look. Works on me, don't you think?"

He'd opened the door to her room, had shoved her inside, and had locked it behind her.

She wanted her apartment, her bedroom, her dog, and, most of all, she wanted Daniel. The night before she'd left – Monday, maybe, she couldn't really remember – he had asked her to stay an extra few days and she had desperately wanted to, but she'd already missed her exams because of the conference and she hadn't felt like burdening the proctor and her graduate assistant with grading them. Now, sitting in the same clothes she'd worn out to Colorado and pondering the future of her mundane existence, she really wished she hadn't been so thoughtful. Her grandfather had always told her that selfishness never got you anywhere and, being the young girl she'd been at the time, she'd believed him.

"Not so much _now_, Clyde," she said aloud, wondering if he could hear her all the way up in his heavenly recliner.

She shifted and was instantly reminded of The Plan. The corkscrew was settled uncomfortably in the front of her bandeau tank top and was being held in place by her natural graces and gravity. She was hoping that the thugs wouldn't think to search her, but there was always a chance. That was why the blade of the corkscrew was resting against her underarm, tucked into the strap of her bra.

The thought of what Daniel would say if he could see her armaments brought a smile to her face and for a split second she worried that hysterical laughter would bubble up and refuse to go away. She bit back on it and took a couple of deep breaths. The last thing she needed was to alert Thug #1 to the possibility that his prisoner was off her rocker.

_Crazy can be a great ambush._

Jack had told her that when he'd taught her how to fight. She hoped he was right.

She glanced at her watch for the hundredth time in as many minutes and was somewhat disconcerted to see that time really had flown by – it was just after ten. Maria had told her to be ready by eleven. As the Twig (Aeda's own personal nickname for Ba'al's personal assistant) had left the room, Aeda had been overcome by the feeling that if Ba'al left his gal Friday alone with her for any amount of time, a good old-fashioned catfight might ensue. Not that Aeda was opposed to that, but her knuckles still hurt from her first run in with the buxom blonde. Then again, she'd seen what a shovel could do to a person and she wasn't exactly opposed to that, either.

She considered her options. There was The Plan – the grand design of sticking Ba'al in an uncomfortable place with the corkscrew and running like hell – but the more she thought about it, the more she wondered if it was really something worth considering. She'd have to be awfully close and the closer she got to him, the more likely it was that he could do damage to her.

Another option was that the SGC had gone into full protective overload and a team of SWAT guys were currently staking out the meeting place, waiting for the noon meeting so they could strike and take out Ba'al while heroically saving her. It was a nice notion but a part of her didn't really want to be saved – a part of her really wanted to kick some ass. _That_ surprised her. She wasn't a violent person – Harvard professors are _not_ violent people, she reasoned – but something had snapped that day at the airport, something ugly, and she wanted it under control.

It wasn't a side of her she wanted Daniel to see.

So, save herself or wait to be saved – that was the question.

She'd made up her mind as the door unlocked and swung open, revealing Thug #2. "You ready?" he asked, his Boston accent thicker than the oatmeal she'd had for breakfast.

She nodded, smiled slightly. "I sure am, Reggie," she said and stood, slipping her feet into her shoes. "Beautiful day for a hostage swap, don't you think?" she asked.

He said nothing, but took her elbow in his oversized, meaty hand. She noticed this grip was a little looser than the one he'd employed two nights earlier when he'd hauled her upstairs to her "cell". She couldn't help but smile at him and though she couldn't be sure, there seemed to be the hint of a grin at the corners of Reggie's mouth.

"Ah, Reggie, you like me," she said.

A big old grizzly thug, grinning – it kind of made her day.

* * *

A/N: The more I write Aeda, the more I see myself. It's a little disconcerting...

Thanks for the fabulous reviews and I'm really glad you're all enjoying the story. There's only a couple of chapters left, so keep yourselves tuned in! Thanks!


	7. Implications

Daniel had no idea how he'd become a diplomat. It had just happened one day. They'd needed someone level headed to mediate a disagreement between two sects of Jaffa and without really knowing why or how, Daniel had found himself volunteered for the job. It had come out of left field, really, and smacked him in his archeological head. The worst part was that the mediation had gone well and from that point on trying to convince General Hammond that he wasn't a good diplomat was like trying to convince Teal'c that Ben & Jerry's wasn't a food group.

Now, though, his diplomatic skills were of a more personal importance. He couldn't lose Aeda, not like he'd lost Sha'are, like he'd lost his parents. It was for that reason alone that he allowed them to wrap a bullet proof vest around his torso and strap a gun to the underside of his left arm.

He fixed his jacket over the gun, unhappy with how bulky it looked. He didn't want there to be any reason – past his own beef with the Goul'd – to incur a firefight. Jack, who had been watching him all along, tilted his head to the side and frowned.

"What?" Daniel asked as he pulled at the hem of the jacket.

"I can see the butt of it when you move your arms."

"So what should I do?"

"Don't move your arms."

Daniel nodded. "Sure. I'll try to remember that piece of wisdom."

Jack grinned slightly, glanced at his watch. "Show time," he said and pushed off the table he'd been resting against.

Daniel fell into step next to him and they headed across the hangar to where the three black SUVs waited for them. They were a hundred or so feet away from the crowd when Jack leaned in and said in a half-whisper, "Do me a favor."

Daniel nodded.

"If you get a chance, shoot that bastard in the head. Don't hesitate." Jack clapped the archeologist on the shoulder and the two of them joined the fray.

"Are you ready for this, Dr. Jackson?" Major Greene asked as the two men approached.

Daniel checked his weapon for the millionth time and nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They didn't search her.

She sat quietly in the back seat of the SUV, her gaze concentrated on the unfamiliar scenery as it passed by the window. Every time she breathed, the cool metal of both the corkscrew and its corresponding blade touched her skin and she had to consciously stop herself from shivering. There was too much at stake to risk being discovered because of a little cold metal.

Beside her, Ba'al was content to pay little attention to her. Maria was not with them and every so often Aeda would speculate internally about what had happened to vicious little blonde. She was tempted to ask, but the tiny smirk on Ba'al's face told her all she needed to know. Maria would not be joining them on their current adventure, nor any future adventure.

She thought about Daniel, thought about what it would feel like to hug him, to kiss him. Her memory of him, their last night together, had faded with the seriousness of her current situation. She had been trying desperately to cling to anything from that night, but as the hours went on, even his scent began to leave her.

"_If you could do anything in the world, what would it be?" he asked her, his arms wrapped around her as they sat on the porch of her old cabin._

_She smiled, gazed up at the sky. She turned her head to look at him, felt the scratch of the wool blanket against her cheek. "Live in this cabin, write a novel, spend copious amounts of time in bed with a hot archeologist." She felt him laugh more than she heard it. He kissed the top of her head. "What about you?"_

"_I don't know, that sounds pretty good to me."_

"_Writing a novel?"_

"_No, the copious amounts of time in bed with a hot archeologist."_

_She elbowed him gently in the ribs and this time she heard his laughter. It rumbled in is chest and she felt the vibrations. "Are you happy?" she asked._

"_I'm with you."_

"_Good answer."_

"_It's the truth." His arms tightened around her middle and she became instantly aware of the fact they hadn't bothered with clothes when deciding to stargaze off the back porch._

"_Perhaps we should go inside." She turned around so that she was half facing him and she kissed his jaw. The stubble reminded her of just how long they'd spent wrapped up in the blanket on the floor. "I'm only here for another eight hours. Might as well make use of our time."_

"_Sleepy?" he asked._

_She grinned devilishly. "Who said anything about sleep?"_

"Daydreaming?" Ba'al asked, shaking her from her memory.

She turned toward him slightly and forced herself to betray nothing. "Thinking of ways to escape, actually."

He chuckled and she inwardly cringed at the sound. "I would have been disappointed by anything else."

The SUV slowed and she looked through the windshield just as the main house of an old farm came into view. A gigantic, dilapidated barn took up most of her view and she wondered if there were any shovels hidden within its walls. She made a mental note to look for one the first chance she got.

"We're early," she said.

Ba'al nodded. "Early, yes, though I am quite positive your friends know this place just as well as I do."

"Well, they are military and you did steal one of their own, so my guess is they know it better and are probably waiting for you."

He nodded once more. "I had anticipated that."

She frowned, looked away. "Of _course_ you did."

xxxxxxxxxxx

From their vantage point on the ridge above the farm they could see the black SUV pull into the driveway from the main road. It stopped a hundred feet or so from the barn and two oversized guys in suits got out of the front. The driver opened his door and Ba'al stepped out. The passenger did not open his door but instead stood in front of it with his arms crossed.

"Aeda?" Sam asked, the binoculars still attached to her eyes.

"My guess would be yes," Jack said.

Beside him, Cameron shifted slightly. "We could take them out now."

Teal'c, who had said very little since their arrival at the ridge, inclined his head slightly. "I do not believe that is wise, Lt. Mitchell. There is no telling what might happen to Aeda if we remove her captors from the equation."

Jack grinned very slightly. "You always were a deep guy, Teal'c." He looked at Cameron. "In this case he's also right. They might have her wired for a bomb, or the car might be wired, or the whole damn thing might be wired. I'm not risking it."

"So we sit here and wait?" Cam asked, annoyed.

Jack looked at Sam. "Is he always this gung-ho or is it just in moments of extreme stress?"

Sam grinned at the massive frown that graced Cam's features. "It's a flyboy mentality, sir. Nothing you'd know about, I'm sure."

A rustling behind them heralded the arrival of the Marines.

Major Greene settled between Jack and Sam and pulled a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket. "Recon shows it's just the four of them. Aeda is definitely in the back seat of the vehicle, guarded by tank number one. Tank number two just went into the house with Ba'al." He pointed to the barn, then at the paper. "There's an energy signal coming from within the barn. The schematics don't show us anything but my guess is he's waiting for that generator so he can power up a cloaked Alkesh."

"Are your guys in position near the barn?" Jack asked.

Greene nodded. "Affirmative. Dr. Jackson should be arriving any minute now. His car is rigged with a tracking device and he's wearing an earwig. Anything he says or hears, we hear. Anywhere he goes in that car, we go."

There was movement from the SUV and they watched as tank number one took Aeda from the backseat and led her into the barn. She didn't appear to be in bad shape, though even from the ridge Jack could see she was in a foul mood. He'd seen Aeda in that kind of mood before and the end result hadn't been pretty.

"What now?" Cameron asked.

He took a deep breath as Daniel's green sedan pulled into the driveway. He looked across Greene and locked eyes with Sam. She nodded very slightly.

"We wait."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N: Okay, so it's been awhile and I feel kind of bad, but in my own defense I'm changing jobs, participating in one hell of a grand wedding, and trying to figure out what being 25 means...thanks for the reviews and your patience. I hope it was worth the wait!


	8. Adrenaline

He parked the Taurus and got out, instantly aware of two very different things.

One - there were two men larger than Teal'c headed towards him with expressions of what could only be described as dangerous indifference on their faces.

And two - Bell was chattering in his ear just a little more than was really necessary.

"Bell," he said very quietly.

"Yes?"

"Do me a favor and stop talking. They might hear you."

There was a stretch of silence, followed by, "Right. Sorry."

The earwig clicked off and he found himself surrounded by silence once again. He took a deep breath and walked forward to meet the two men.

"You Jackson?" one of them – the bigger one – asked with an accent Daniel had heard many a time while walking through the South End with Aeda.

"Yes. Is Aeda alright?" He knew it was a long shot that they'd tell him anything, but something passed over the man's face – something that looked suspiciously like a grin.

"She's good." He pointed over his shoulder. "We gotta search you, make sure you're not carrying nothing."

Daniel nodded. "I figured as much."

He held his arms out as the smaller man searched him. They found nothing, just as they should have, and even managed to bypass the earwig. Apparently, pat-downs were not their specialty.

"He's clean," the smaller man said.

"Come on," the bigger man said, taking Daniel by the elbow. "The boss is waiting."

They steered Daniel towards the decrepit house that was attached to the red barn. Waiting on what had once been the back porch was Ba'al.

"Welcome, Dr. Jackson. So good to see you again."

Daniel grimaced. "If only the feeling were mutual."

Ba'al chuckled, perhaps Daniel's least favorite sound in the universe. "Come, let's sit and discuss our agreement."

Daniel took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Actually, and not to sound impatient or anything, but I'd rather just exchange the bomb for Aeda and be on my merry way."

"Aeda is quite the woman, Dr. Jackson. I have to admit that she has grown on me in the last few days."

"She's good at that."

Ba'al pointed at the larger man. "She has grown on Reggie, as well."

Reggie, to his credit, simply shrugged.

"Where is she?" Daniel asked.

"Safe, for the moment." Ba'al sat down and Daniel felt the whole porch shift with the weight change. "You have the naquadah?"

"In my car."

Ba'al motioned at the smaller man and he disappeared in the direction of Daniel's car. When he returned, he was carrying a titanium case – a locked titanium case.

"The code."

Daniel frowned. "See, there's the catch. I won't give you the code until you give me Aeda. That way, I know you'll hold up your end of the bargain."

"Perhaps I'll simply kill Aeda and force you to give me the code."

"You'll have to kill me as well, and while I know for a fact that's high on your list of fun activities for the day, it'll get you nowhere. You'll have an impenetrable case full of naquadah and no way of getting any of it."

The look on Ba'al's face could have meant any number of things, but Daniel was sure that in this instance it meant the former System Lord knew that he was thoroughly and completely backed into a corner.

"Reggie, please retrieve Aeda and bring her here."

"Got it, boss."

Reggie went off around the house. Daniel watched him go, then turned to Ba'al and smiled slightly.

"So, how about those Red Sox?"

* * *

Aeda was to the breaking point.

She wanted her dog, she wanted her apartment, but most of all she wanted to be very naked with a very handsome archeologist. Those three things were driving her at the moment, which was why she was crouched in a dark corner near the barn door, holding the shovel like it was a baseball bat. She was also trying very hard not to think about the thousand and one different spiders that she was fairly certain were surrounding her at the moment.

She hated spiders, but in the last three days she'd come to realize that she hated Ba'al even more. If given the chance, she'd swing the shovel at his head like Big Papi going for a Green Monster homerun. If she was lucky, she'd do some damage.

She heard footsteps outside the barn, heavy ones, and then the door creaked open. Reggie stepped into the semi-darkness.

"Alright, Aeda, time to go," he called out and Aeda took a deep breath.

In any other circumstance, she'd have considered Reggie one of those guys that were worth having on her team. He was big, he was imposing, he cracked a smile every so often, but at the moment he stood between her and home. That fact alone made the decision for her.

"Come on, Aeda. Quit fucking around."

His back was to her and she quietly tiptoed out of the shadows. He was too busy looking for her – he never saw it coming. She smashed the handle of the shovel into the back of his head. He went down with an audible thud and she waited a couple of seconds before checking to see if he was still alive.

A steady pulse ran beneath her fingertips.

"Sorry, big guy," she said and ran out the barn door, shovel still in hand.

* * *

Jack glanced at his watch. It had been almost ten minutes since Ba'al had sent the big guy to get Aeda and no sign of either had been seen yet. Daniel had said the buzz words – Red Sox – when the big guy had left, which meant they had ten minutes to go before the extraction team would begin their siege of the compound.

Sam looked at him. "What?"

"Ten minutes."

"They'll be fine."

"I know that." He looked over his shoulder and caught Greene's eye. The Major approached. "Is the team ready?"

"Yessir. General Landry just radioed in to say that the team had arrived at the point radius and were waiting for your signal."

"How's the Admiral?"

At this, the Major smiled. "Driving absolutely everyone crazy, sir."

Jack grinned. "That's what he's good at." He took a moment to consider everything. Still no big guy, still no Aeda. A funny thought crossed his mind and he looked over at Teal'c. "Hey, T."

Teal'c nodded just slightly, though he never took his eyes off the compound below them.

"Did you teach Aeda hand to hand with the sticks?"

"Indeed, O'Neill. She was very skilled when she left the mountain."

Jack's grin widened. Cameron frowned. "What does that mean?" he asked.

"It means Aeda found something to hit with and she's kicking ass."

They all looked down at the compound and as though she'd heard his praise from up above, a lone figure appeared near the outer wall of the barn. Everyone could see that she was holding a shovel and that, from their viewpoint, the little guy that had arrived with Ba'al was about to get his lights knocked out.

She cracked him with the shovel and the audience she didn't even know she had cheered very silently for her.

"See," Sam said, a huge smile on her features, "I told you they'd be fine."

It took all the willpower he had not to grab her and kiss her, but he managed.

* * *

Daniel wasn't a happy dance kind of person, but at the moment all he really wanted to do was get up and do some sort of victory dance. Laughter in the face of danger, and all that rot. He did not, however, keep his wide, shit-eating grin to himself. That, he shared with Ba'al, who was growing increasingly disturbed as the minutes passed.

He'd sent Reggie.

Reggie hadn't returned, so he'd sent the smaller guy (whose name was, coincidentally, Guido – Daniel had very much wanted to laugh, but had curbed it because the man's biceps were bigger than Daniel's own head).

So far, the smaller guy hadn't returned.

"Maybe they got lost," Daniel said.

The look Ba'al sent him would have withered a redwood, but Daniel pointedly ignored it.

"I mean, it's a big acreage and they didn't strike me as MENSA candidates."

"Enough!" the Ga'ould roared. "You will follow me, or you will die. Promises be damned."

Daniel didn't bother to question the reasoning. He simply stood and followed Ba'al towards the barn. They were not very far from the front door when they spied Guido, flat on his back, in the middle of the dirt driveway. Ba'al turned to Daniel.

"It appears your extraction team couldn't wait."

Daniel frowned. "This wasn't them."

The barrel of the gun was pointed at his chest before he even had a moment to comprehend what was going on. He looked down at it, then up at Ba'al, who smiled a very sick smile. "I made a promise to your woman that if it came down to it, I would kill her instead of you." He pulled the hammer back on the revolver. "Now that she has decided to disappear, I no longer feel honor bound."

Daniel tried not to think about the fact that Ga'ould without scruples had made a promise to "his woman" and instead focused on the lone figure slowly and quietly approaching them just over Ba'al's shoulder. He smiled at it.

"Took you long enough," he said.

Ba'al frowned at him, bewildered. He must have seen that Daniel's eyes were focused on a point over his shoulder, for he turned around, slightly, and had a flustered moment of recognition.

"Good night," Aeda said and promptly smacked him in the head with the business end of the shovel.

He went down, but not before firing the gun.

Daniel watched it in slow motion, too stunned to do anything to stop it. The shovel connected with the Ga'ould's head just before he fired the gun, which was no longer pointing at Daniel. He saw Ba'al fall to the ground and he heard Aeda cry out in pain. He somehow caught her before she dropped.

"Goddammit!" she hollered.

He breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he noticed the blood on her shirt was coming from her right shoulder. He clung to her, held her as close to him as possible, and waited for the extraction team to arrive. When the team finally did arrive, none of them could mask the disappointment that crossed their faces.

"Are you two okay?" a very large man clad entirely in black asked them.

"She's been shot, but I think we're okay."

The man smiled slightly at Aeda. "We're stationed in Massachusetts, ma'am. Just once, it would have been nice to kick some ass."

She laughed, which told Daniel she was going to be just fine. "Well, if you boys weren't such procrastinators…"

The Marine laughed. "Looks like you did a fine job on your own."

"A girl and her shovel."

Daniel coughed. "I hate to break all of this feel good, ass kicking business up, but there's an unconscious Ga'ould and a bleeding woman here. Could we maybe move a little quicker?"

The Marine looked first at Daniel, then at Aeda. He shook his head slightly. "Is he always like this?"

Aeda grinned, but said nothing. He radioed for a medical team and asked that the ridge team move in, then pulled a field kit from his vest. He opened it and handed it to Daniel. "I'll send the medics over when they arrive. Just put some pressure on it." He looked over at Ba'al. "We'll take care of him, though I'm sure he's gonna have one hell of a headache in the morning. Good job, you two." At that, he left the two of them.

Daniel ripped her shirt away from her shoulder, despite her protests that it was salvageable, and pressed the field kit against the bullet wound. The bleeding had already slowed and he could see that the bullet had gone straight through. He smiled down at her.

"I've never been so glad to see a woman wielding a shovel in my entire life," he said with a small smile.

She smiled back, curled her finger at him. "Come closer," she said and he leaned in. "Closer," He leaned in a little more, to the point that when she breathed out, he breathed in. "I've missed you, very, very much."

"I've missed you, too."

She reached up with her good arm and brushed something from his cheek. He looked down at her hand – her fingertips were wet. He didn't even realize he'd been crying.

"Don't cry," she said softly.

He smiled and, with the sirens approaching in the background, kissed her. It wasn't the ending the extraction team had hoped for, but it was more than Daniel could have asked – she was alive, she was in his arms, and she was his.

* * *

A/N: This chapter took some work! I hope you guys like it and thanks for the patience...an epilogue is next, as promised. :-) 


	9. Epilogue

Epilogue – 2 days later

She awoke in a fog of painkillers and sleep. Early spring sunshine filtered through the bay window of her bedroom and spread across the quilt. She slowly turned her head to the side, searching for Daniel. He wasn't there. For a split second, she panicked, but then she heard movement inside the bathroom and she reassured herself that everything was fine. She lay there, basking in the warmth of sun and life and thought back to what had happened.

The medical team had arrived and had whisked her away to Hanscom. The rest of the Marines and the SGC members had followed. She'd spent a couple of hours getting patched up and had arrived in a room full of people who were more than a little excited to see her, alive and well. Her father was there, looking years older than he had the last time she'd seen him. He had grabbed her, hugged her, and had refused to let go. Even when the night nurse – a woman of small height but imposing stature – had come in and told them all to go away, Belvedere Harrison had stayed. Eventually, the nurse had given in, had found him an extra blanket and pillow, and had told him he'd better at least sleep or he'd regret his insolence in the morning.

Aeda had decided, in that moment, that this woman was a fantastic person.

In the morning, her mother had arrived with Bear in tow (another concession the nurse had allowed) and a second episode of chaos had ensued. Carolina had demanded details, which Aeda had been unable to provide. After the third explanation of "top secret Air Force maneuvers", Carolina had turned to Belvedere, had thrown up her hands, and had said loudly enough that the entire hospital could hear her, "Goddamn flyboys and their goddamn top secret maneuvers. I should have married a goddamn carpenter!"

Carolina Harrison never swore, hollered at her husband and children when they did. Aeda had reassessed her opinion of her mother to include the fact that she could be one scary person when the need arose.

Her family had eventually left, at which point her other family had arrived with General Landry in tow.

"How's your shoulder?" Cameron had asked.

"It has a hole in it, but other than that." She'd grinned at his chagrined expression.

"I should've seen that coming."

Jack had clapped the younger man on the shoulder. "Eventually you'll learn, Cameron – we're just a bunch of smartasses."

"Speak for yourself, O'Neill," Teal'c had rumbled from a corner of the room and they had all laughed so hard the nurse had been forced to come in and shush them.

By the evening, it had just been her and Daniel and the doctor had discharged her around six. They'd driven back to the city in a comfortable silence, the painkillers making it difficult for Aeda to carry on any sort of coherent conversation. She was sure Daniel was enjoying this silly side of her – she had a vague memory of him laughing at her on their way into her apartment, but it was possible that it was all a dream.

There was a clatter from the kitchen and her fog disappeared. "Daniel?" she called out and was rewarded with a second clatter, this one louder. Curious as to who was invading her kitchen, she slowly crawled out of bed, careful of her arm, and pulled her robe on. She looked down at herself.

"Hm," she said aloud, "I seem to have misplaced my pants." She considered looking for them, changed her mind, and opened the bedroom door. If there were robbers in her kitchen, missing pants were the least of her troubles.

Voices floated down the hallway from the kitchen and she recognized them as belonging to SG-1, sans Daniel. She glanced at the bathroom door – it was still closed – and then moved further down the hallway. The closer she came to the kitchen, the stronger the smell of breakfast became. She smelled bacon cooking and pancakes and coffee and her mouth watered. She couldn't even remember how long it had been since the last time she'd eaten – a day, maybe?

Finally, the hallway ended and she found herself standing in the middle of her kitchen, in her underwear, a t-shirt, and her robe. At first, no one noticed her so she took the time to watch.

Jack was cooking and doing everything he could to keep Sam's hands out of the chaos. Cameron had a cup of coffee and a pancake, rolled up like a Swedish waffle, which he was talking around while eating. Teal'c was devouring a plate of pancakes and bacon at her kitchen table while Bear looked on with great devoted interest.

She smiled at it all.

"Good morning," she said and the activity ceased.

They all smiled at her. "I think you forgot your pants," Jack said and pointed with his spatula for emphasis. Beside him, Cameron's jaw dropped slightly.

She shrugged as best she could. "I've got one good arm. Ever tried to pull pants on with one good arm?"

A chorus of "yes" and "sure" and "indeed" filtered through the kitchen and she stared at them all in amazement. They stared back. Finally, she laughed. "Of course you have. Sam, a little help."

They disappeared back into her bedroom, found her pants, and by the time they returned, Daniel had joined the fray. He smiled at her.

"Good morning, silly," he said and kissed her firmly on the mouth.

"Get a room, you two," Cameron said into his coffee cup and was rewarded with a crack on the back of his head from Jack. "Ow."

"How're you feeling?" Daniel asked.

She took a deep breath, looked around the room, and considered it. The entire time she'd been Ba'al's captive, she'd wanted nothing more than to be here, in this apartment, with her dog and her family. At one point, she had convinced herself that it wouldn't happen. Now, she had it, everything she'd wanted during those seventy-two hours, and she was happy. She was happy, she was comfortable, and she was alive.

She snuggled into Daniel's arms and smiled at the people before her.

"I feel fantastic," she said.

Jack grinned at her. "Good, because I made pancakes and you know that I only allow fantastic people to eat my pancakes."

"Indeed," Teal'c added from his position at the table. "Then why do you allow Colonel Mitchell to eat them?"

The laughter was music to Aeda's ears.

* * *

A/N: A big thanks to my readers and reviewers. I'm so glad you guys enjoy my stories and that you keep reading them! I don't think we've seen the last of Aeda, either... 


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